There’s Always a First Time for…
by Query
Summary: What do you get when you mix Elvis, a clown, a flamethrower, romance, and a man dressed as a bat?
1. Dating

General Disclaimer: The character Dee Lemma/Xiaohu/Query, as well as the entire Jade Tiger Triad is the sole creation of me. Unauthorized use of my characters is not allowed. All other characters (Batman, The Riddler, and all other DC created Gothamites) are property of DC Comics.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
"Make certain the room is clean and the bed is made," ordered Edward Nigma, the Riddler, into the phone. "And make certain the bathroom in that room is spotless, understand?"  
  
"Yes, boss," came the reply.  
  
Eddie chose to ignore the irritated and grumbling undertone of the man on the other end. Without saying goodbye, he hung up, kicking at the base of the pay phone. He was ready to start snarling under his breath when Dee Lemma (formerly Xiaohu of the Jade Tiger Triad, and now Query), returned from changing. The transformation was stunning. He had thought she looked beautiful enough in the pants and shirt she had worn before. But now - now he just barely managed to keep his jaw from dropping as he watched her walk from the restroom to the car, looking around for him.  
  
It had been at her request that he had stopped so she could change into something more appropriate for a night out. She had felt uncomfortable being so underdressed for dinner when he was dressed nicely. Dee's pants had been traded for a flowing skirt in a stormy blue and a tailored, white button up blouse. As he walked toward the car, he could see the hollow of her throat and curve of her collarbone peeking out from the snowy white fabric before she climbed into her seat.  
  
Clearing his throat, he shook himself. "Ready then?" he asked, sliding behind the wheel.  
  
A silent nod was all her answer. He cast a glance at her before pulling onto the road. Dee sat silently, he hands folded in her lap, staring blankly out the windshield. Eddie felt sorry for the girl, being as her whole life had changed in the course of one day. He wondered how he would feel if he had been torn away from his loved ones and everything he had known, and then placed in the hands of an almost complete stranger. Then he realized he had no "loved" ones to be torn away from.  
  
"Jiaoshu said he told you what I did for the Triad," she finally said.  
  
"He mentioned that you were a foot soldier and one of their finest thieves in the Gotham area. He also said you were something of an explosives expert."  
  
"I've been studying the art of pyrotechnics since I was ten. But I'm far from an expert. Did he tell you anything else?"  
  
"Only that I wasn't to mention your connection to them to anyone." _And that if I hurt you I would be in deep trouble with him_, he added silently. Two threats in one day about the same girl. It frightened him, yet made him more curious about her. He had also been warned by both Jiaoshu and Dee's best friend, Manchu, that whatever they did to him would be nothing compared to what she might do.  
  
Silence settled over the car again as the Riddler pulled into the back parking lot of the waterfront Italian restaurant, Garibaldi's. Edward was determined to make this girl smile again tonight and make her feel welcome. Jumping out of the car as soon as he parked, he hurried to her door and helped her out. She made no protest as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. In fact, her fingers curled and put a gentle pressure on his forearm as they entered the restaurant.  
  
"Signor Nigma! How delightful to see you again! A slightly rotund man with glasses and a thick Italian accent said. "And you bring a girl!"  
  
Dee blushed as the man took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it.  
  
"A vision you are! Please, come this way! I have a wonderful table for you!"  
  
"Thank you, Renato," Eddie said, smiling at Dee as they followed the man.  
  
He seated them at a booth facing the panoramic window. Placing menus down, he hurried off, summoning a waiter for their table.  
  
"Order whatever you want," the Riddler said, sensing the girl's apprehension as she noticed the prices.  
  
"Anything?" Dee asked, uncertain if he really meant it.  
  
"Anything."  
  
They perused the menu for a moment before the waiter came over. "Good evening. I'm Tony and I'll be your waiter. Can I start you out with some drinks, or are you ready to order?"  
  
"Dee?"  
  
"I'm ready to order if you are." Getting a nod, she began listing her order. "I'll start with the Insalata di Gorgonzola, no tomatoes, and I'd like the Pesce di Pozzuoli."  
  
"And to drink?"  
  
She hesitated, feeling uncomfortable about ordering alcohol around this man just yet. "Water is fine, thank you."  
  
"Nonsense. Bring her a glass of your finest white wine. I'd like a scotch on the rocks, for now. And I would like the Insalata Mista and the Fra Diavolo."  
  
When he was finished ordering and the waiter left, he looked at Dee. She was staring out of the window at the twinkling lights of the harbor. Never had she had a chance to sit and appreciate a view like this. Resting her chin on her hand, her lips in a natural pout, the Riddler felt his heart beat quicken. The soft candlelight illuminated her features gently.  
  
"The view is beautiful," she said.  
  
"Indeed," he replied, finding himself reaching for her left hand. Her fingers felt cold in the warmth of his hand as he picked it off the table. That's an interesting ring you're wearing."  
  
Face flushed, she started to pull her hand back, stopping as his thumb ran along the length of the chain.  
  
"It was a gift. They gave it to me when I... When I..." Her voice trailed off and she bit her trembling lip.  
  
"Hey, what's black, white, and red all over?" He waited a beat to see if she would answer. When she didn't, he said, "A zebra with chicken pox!" Telling her childish jokes and riddles, he was pleased when she finally smiled and giggled a little. "So is it just gorilla jokes that make you laugh then?" he asked, giving her fingers a light squeeze.  
  
"It's you telling them. I didn't think those were in your caliber to use."  
  
He took a sip of his scotch, which had arrived. "Never leave the classics. Any riddle use properly works for me."  
  
Their salads came then and he released her now warmed hand. They chatted as they ate, each telling a little bit about themselves. As they talked, Dee began to relax. Eddie was amazed at the girl's appetite, noticing that she was thoroughly enjoying her meal.  
  
"This has got to be the most amazing Italian food I have ever had!" she said with delight after the first bite of her entrée.  
  
A grin spread across Edward's face. The words were music to his ears. He chuckled as she took another bite, eyes rolling up at the taste.  
  
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone enjoy a meal as much as you are now. It's nice to see a girl with an appetite and table manners."  
  
"You mean they didn't tell you?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
"Well, I'm certain Manchu talked to you about me. And I know Jiaoshu did. I'm just wondering if Manchu decided to tell you exactly how much I like food and to eat."  
  
He shook his head. "They both told me not to piss you off. No mention of food."  
  
"Of course Manchu would say something like that," she said, adding a low grumble of something in Chinese. "I suppose you should know though. Ever since I've been able to shape shift, my metabolism has gone up. Depending on how long and what I change into is how I'm affected."  
  
"My guess is that it's the ring that allows that?" the Riddler asked, touching the chain again. "What can you change into?"  
  
"Just felines."  
  
"Small? Large?"  
  
"Any. As long as it's a feline, I can change into it. I can also do the half shift that you saw earlier."  
  
"Interesting. I know a lot of people would love to get their hands on something like that. And I think we should keep that fact under our hats," he said, giving her a look that meant no argument.  
  
"Doesn't really matter," she replied wiping the last of the sauce up with a piece of bread. "The ring won't work for anyone other than me. Jiaoshu told me that even if someone else got a hold of it, the ring has to accept them."  
  
The conversation was cut short as the waiter returned to clear the plates. "Anything else I can bring you tonight? Some dessert or coffee?"  
  
Eddie looked at Dee. "Dessert?"  
  
She already felt like a pig, finishing every scrap of food on her plate, along with the rest of the bread. Then again if he thought less of her for wanting dessert, that was his problem.  
  
"Do you have any crème brulee?"  
  
"Plain, or lavender?" the waiter asked with a smile.  
  
"Ooo! Lavender! And an herbal tea, please," she said happily.  
  
With a chuckle, Edward ordered tiramisu and a coffee. The delight that Dee took in cracking the burnt sugar top of the custard had Eddie shaking his head in amusement. She practically danced in her seat as the creamy concoction melted on her tongue. When he asked how her dessert was, she sighed and offered him a bite, tumbling over adjectives to describe the marvel of crème brulee. In return, he offered her a bite of his own dessert, causing another waterfall of words from her.   
  



	2. A Kiss

  
  
The two strolled along the waterfront after dinner. Eddie had wanted to go for a walk to spend more time alone with Dee. He was happy that she had agreed and even held his arm in both her hands as they walked along.  
  
Unbeknownst to him, Dee's head was swimming from the two glasses of wine she had. Not only did she feel lightheaded and giddy, but also she felt like curling up in Edward's lap if he would let her. The only thing that stopped her was the inner fear of him. Holding his arm and sitting close to him had been fine after she got used to it. Anything else beyond that terrified her. Was she supposed to let him kiss her afterward? A kiss would be nice. Was he expecting her to sleep with him after? If he was, he would be unpleasantly surprised when she told him no.  
  
For all the confidence that she had as a fighter and assassin, she was petrified of a personal relationship with a man. While she had been totally at ease with Manchu and trusted him, this was different. Manchu was protective of her and knew her better than anyone. Still, he didn't know how deeply her fear of an intimate relationship with a man went.  
  
The men she had met when she went out all treated her the same. The men in the Triad, for the most part, treated her as another male member. Any romantic interests for her had to be focused outside of the Triad. Dee had had her share of crushes when she was growing up. Never were they anything more than one-sided interests, though. Manchu often chided her on not speaking up to a boy she liked, telling her that they were just as afraid as she was. The excuse never helped, forcing her to turn her attention to other things and make herself look too busy for such frivolity as a boyfriend.  
  
While Dee was lost in thought, the Riddler's thoughts drifted off as well. It wasn't until he felt a tremor at his side did he remember himself. The girl's exposed skin was covered in goose bumps. Placing his hand over her fingers, he found them to be icy.  
  
"Are you cold?" asked Eddie, shaking her out of her reminiscing.  
  
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I left my jacket in the car though," she said, wincing as a breeze brought up more goose bumps on her arms.  
  
"Here." He took his jacket off and helped her put it on.  
  
She felt ready to swoon as his warmed fabric surrounded her, mixed with the warm scent of his skin and aftershave. _Dee! Stop acting like such an idiot! You're twenty-five and you're acting like a giddy little girl!_  
  
"A little big, but it looks good on you," he teased, taking her arm once more.  
  
"Won't you get cold?" she asked, leaning her head against his arm in an effort to make herself feel more confident. _Who are you kidding? You just want to be closer to him_, quickly followed by, _I wonder if he'll kiss me tonight._  
  
"Not at all," he said, eyes focusing on the air in front of him for a moment, covering her hands on his arm with his free hand. _I wonder if she'd be against letting me kiss her. Manchu said she was a bit old fashion when it came to dating._  
  
They walked silently for a while, Eddie enjoying the feel of her resting against his arm, and Dee enjoying the warmth and comfort of being near him.  
  
"Eddie?" she said, halting their walk and looking up at him.  
  
"Hm? Is something wrong?"  
  
"I'm just curious. You haven't been speaking in riddles or anything all night. How come? I thought you always did that, or at least spoke in some strange puzzle language."  
  
A smile pulled the right corner of his mouth up as he pulled her around in front of him. "Why would you think that, Kitten?"  
  
"Well, you're the Riddler. I thought that's what you did," she said, a light blush coloring her cheeks. _You're such an idiot sometimes, Dee_, she scolded herself.  
  
"If I talked like that all the time, my help would never understand me. Besides, tonight I'm just Eddie. And I am still just a man. That's ok with you, isn't it?"  
  
She nodded, dropping her eyes to the question mark on his tie. Eddie placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her face back up at his, watching the light twinkle in her eyes.  
  
"The language between a man and a woman is perplexing enough," he said softly. _It's now or never_, he thought as he leaned in.  
  
Dee's eyes went wide when she realized he was going to kiss her. As his lips pressed to hers, she stiffened, uncertain of what to do. His hand caressed her cheek softly and her eyes slowly slid shut. When his other arm curled around her waist and pulled her closer to him, she started to panic.  
  
_What am I supposed to do?!_  
  
Without realizing it, she found her hands encircling his torso. Once her hands touched the back of his shirt, she began to relax, feeling her body start to conform to his. Edward was being as gentle as he could with her, not presuming to make any move more than he should. He pulled his head back feeling her need for a breath. The girl's eyes were just barely open; her lips parted just so as she pulled in a labored breath of air. He realized he was supporting much of her weight as he smiled down at her flushed face, caressing her cheek once more with the back of his fingers. She had tasted of lavender and cream with a hint of mint. Never mind the soft smell of peaches that came from her neck that tickled his nostrils!  
  
Dee's eyes suddenly snapped open and went wide as she became aware of what happened. Her legs felt weak and she felt helpless as he held her firmly. She wanted nothing more than to bolt right then, despite the warm tingle she felt all over from the kiss. Quickly she let go of him and took a step back, pulling her hands into the sleeves of his jacket, wrapping her arms around herself and turning her head to the ground. Why did she feel she had just done something so wrong?  
  
"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?" he asked, closing the step between them.  
  
She shook her head violently and stepped back again. The butterflies were back with a vengeance.  
  
"Then what is it? I couldn't have hurt you." He paused for a second and then realized what the problem could be. "You don't think that I mean to take anything else from you tonight, do you?"  
  
It was then that he noticed a shining tear fall from her chin and to the concrete. This girl was definitely, as Manchu had said, "a walking contradiction." Edward decided to add on "conundrum" to that definition of Dee Lemma. Manchu had also been right when he said that what little information he would give Eddie on Dee wouldn't keep him from unraveling the mystery of this girl.  
  
"Dee, I wouldn't. I can tell you're not the kind of girl that would do that. And I'm not the kind of guy to force that from a girl." He managed to pull her into his arms and hold her tightly against him. In passing he wondered if she had been taken advantage of.  
  
Pressing herself more firmly against him, Dee thought, _He's like Manchu. Manchu would do this for me._ What she wanted more than anything was for him to kiss her again. Now she was afraid that she had destroyed any chance of that happening. _And that's the difference. You wouldn't want Manchu to kiss you like he just did._  
  
"I'm sorry," she finally mumbled into his shirtfront.  
  
"You haven't got anything to be sorry for, I don't think."  
  
"Yes I do. I don't know the first thing about any of this. I don't know how to act. You saw me at dinner. A girl who knew how to act on a date probably wouldn't have made such a pig of herself! I don't know the proper responses to anything that comes with dating! None of it!" she said, sounding mildly angry now.  
  
"I don't think you were a pig at all. I'm glad you got what you wanted and ate it all. I would have been fine if you had said you were still hungry and ordered more! But you've been out on dates before. A girl as pretty as you has certainly had her share of men in her life by now!"  
  
Dee stepped back and glowered at him through narrow eyes. "No. I haven't. Tonight is the first, ok? This is the first time I've been asked out as more than a friend, or by someone I know had more on their mind than just dinner and a movie."  
  
He was stunned. That couldn't be right. "First time by someone not Chinese, right?"  
  
"First time, period." She sighed, realizing that she was needlessly being rude to this man who had been nothing but a perfect gentleman to her all night. "I'm sorry. Really. It's just that you took me by surprise there and I didn't expect to have my first kiss so soon after meeting you."  
  
Again he was confused. "First kiss from me, right?"  
  
Clenching her hands she made herself take a deep breath before responding. "No, Edward. Ever. I have never been kiss. I have never been on a date. I have never been with a man. I have never done anything that has to do with relationships. I thought you were supposed to be smart." The last was said as she shot him a glare of impatience.  
  
Eddie frowned at that. He hated anyone saying he was anything but brilliant. But the girl had a point. He was slow to get the idea that she had indeed meant never. Now he understood why he had gotten the warnings he had from the two most prominent men in her life.  
  
"Then I suppose I should apologize to you. I thought a woman as beautiful as you were would have had at least one man willing to go out with her. Apparently I'm the only one who's been smart enough to ask."  
  
"I'm not beautiful. You don't have to tell me things like that."  
  
_Ah, so that's it. She's insecure because no one's asked her out and acted like they were interested in her for herself. Good, Eddie. You get a gold star tonight. Just don't screw it up and keep your ego out of this._  
  
"I'm only telling you what I see. And I see a beautiful woman standing in front of me who looks as if she could use another kiss," he said leaning in once more as he held her tight.  
  
This time Dee knew where she wanted her hands and she pressed them against his chest as he held her to his body. She could still taste the coffee he had along with a hint of chocolate from his dessert. When they pulled apart, she only barely managed not to say "yummy." Instead, she rested her head against his chest and let him hold her.   
  



	3. Being Homesick

  
  
"The big one is Trigger, the smaller one is Benny. They're harmless enough," the Riddler said as he pulled the car into the garage of the warehouse. His hired help were waiting, having heard the garage door open.  
  
"Should I worry about them?"  
  
"You weren't worried about them last night. I don't see why that has to change. Good workers. Loyal. But not too bright. Still, if anything happened, they'd have to answer to me."  
  
Dee nodded and opened her door, slowly climbing out. The two nodded to her, eyeing her up and down. Small smirks appeared on their faces as she closed the car door and they got a good look at her.  
  
"Alright you two. In the trunk are Dee's bags. Get them and take them to her room. She'll be living with us from now on. You will call her 'Query' unless she tells you otherwise, understood?"  
  
Wiping the expressions off their faces, they said as one, "Yes, Mr. Nigma," before grabbing the bags out of the trunk and hurrying them into the hideout.  
  
"It isn't much, but it's home. I converted the place to suit my needs. You'll have your own room and bathroom, so you don't need to worry about sharing with any of us males. It will, of course, be your responsibility to keep your own area clean to your liking. We all share the kitchen and everyone has their own cabinet for anything special."  
  
"Do any of you cook?" she asked.  
  
"Er, that depends on your definition of the word," he said, forcing a laugh.  
  
_Just like a bunch of bachelors. I'll bet they sit around swigging beer and watching stupid things on television. Good Gorshin, please don't let them have farting contests!_ Being thought of as "one of the guys" in the Triad had its advantages and disadvantages. The manners and amusements of some of the males left much to be desired. "I know you didn't want to talk about it earlier, but I need to know. Just what am I supposed to be doing here?"  
  
"You'll be my personal bodyguard. I'm more the brain of this group. My fighting is passable, but I'm more for the planning end. Don't get me wrong; I could fight if I wanted to. It just isn't where my skills lie. I'll require you to do more of the fighting. Benny and Trigger are fair in a fight, but they're more the street boxer type. No style. You have style."  
  
They walked down the carpeted hallway. Dee tried to pay attention to where she was going as well as what he was telling her. She saw the men who had taken her bags leave a room and walk back they way they had just come. Turning her head to watch them, she saw them disappear into another room, closing the door behind them.  
  
"They won't mind?" she asked.  
  
He waved his hand dismissively at the question as they stopped at the door to her room. "They have enough to do already. You won't be taking anything away from them." He paused, uncertain of where to go from there. "My room is just the next door over," he said, pointing. "If you need anything, just let me know."  
  
"I think I'll be fine for now." Her shyness was returning as they stood in the hallway, each silent and not knowing what to say. "Oh, your jacket," she finally said, noticing she was still wearing it. Hastily she pulled it off and handed it to him, sorry to be giving it back. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."  
  
The same twitch pulled at the corner of his mouth, giving her a cock-eyed grin. "No problem. I couldn't let you freeze to death out there, could I?"  
  
"I had a really good time tonight. Thank you."  
  
"Thank you. I haven't been on a real date like that in a long time." Pause. "I'll let you get some sleep. You've had a long day." Chancing it, he bent to give her what he was going to make a quick kiss. Instead he took his time, enjoying the softness of her lips against his.  
  
Ducking her head when they parted, she quickly stepped past the threshold of the door. She was blushing again. He was pleased to see that despite the blush, she had a small grin on her face as she peered around the edge of the door.  
  
"G'night," she said before closing it all the way.  
  
Staring at the door for a second, he turned on his heel and strode away, the jacket folded over his arm. Once he got into his room, he held it up, pressing the collar against his nose. Beneath the scent of his aftershave he could smell her, smell the peach scent that she wore. On the green, question mark speckled fabric were a few long strands of her red hair. Instead of picking them off, he left them as he carefully hung the jacket up and placed it in his closet before getting ready for bed.  
  
The second she had closed and locked the door, Dee sighed and leaned against it, sliding down to the floor. Curiously, she peeked under the crack in the door and watched the soles of Eddie's shoes as he walked off. She had forced herself to move away from him, knowing that if she stayed, she'd want nothing more than to let him keep kissing her all night. That wouldn't have been a bad thing, but seeing as she was very tired, she would have wanted more to curl up in his lap and sleep.  
  
It wasn't until she turned to her bags to find something for bed did she burst into tears. Everything in this room smelled and looked strange to her. She missed the futon she had grown up sleeping on. Now she had a real bed, high off the ground. The furniture in the room was ugly as well. None of it had the fine curves and beauty to it that her furniture had. As she opened her bags, the smell of Jiaoshu's house hit her, increasing her sobs.  
  
From one of her bags she pulled out her robe and bath bag, forcing herself into the bathroom. Sobbing even as she undressed, she ran herself a bath. Tying her hair up, she sank into the water. Unlike the bathing pool at Jiaoshu's, she was unable to float, as she liked to. Resting her head on the rim of the tub, she did her best, allowing herself to be lost in the weightlessness of the water.  
  
Each time her thoughts threatened to overwhelm her once more, she felt strong arms envelope her. She expected to be thinking of Manchu, her main comforter. But as always, when she found herself feeling in need of someone more than her best friend, she thought of her carnival barker. Had she not felt she had embarrassed herself enough that night, and if she had the courage, she would have sought him out for comfort.  
  
"Stop fooling yourself, Dee. You know he wouldn't just comfort you. He would take it as a sign that you wanted more and he would take it. Don't listen to what he said. You know he would. He's a man. Remember how nice some of them were when you first met them? He's going to be just the same. He was too perfect tonight," she grumbled to herself as she pulled her pajamas on.  
  
Stifling a yawn, she pulled one of her personal blankets from her bag. Wrapping herself in it, she laid on top of the bed. In her hand she held the little jade tiger Manchu had given her. As she drifted off to sleep she wished nothing more than to be able to talk to her friend about what had happened and if Edward Nigma could have possibly been sincere in his actions tonight.   
  



	4. The Morning After

  
  
Edward had been proud of himself last night. He had managed to go the entire night without giving into the urges he felt and, in the end, had proved that it had been best to go slowly. From his restless dreams of the girl, he knew there was a chance she would be staying around for a long time if he had anything to say about it. And he would.  
  
Just when he had thought he had figured something out about her last night, he had been proven wrong. She hadn't been afraid to call him for being slow. That had irritated him even though he knew her reason. So he had made a mistake and misunderstood her! In his mind, that hadn't been reason enough to say he wasn't smart! He wrinkled his nose and tugged his robe on, heading to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.  
  
"Morning. Do you want anything for breakfast? I made eggs, hash browns, and bacon. I can put some bread in the toaster for you if you want," Dee said in greeting. She was dressed much the same as she had been before their date.  
  
He stood in the kitchen doorway, jaw hanging open at the sight. On the table sat a massive platter of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a pitcher of orange juice. Dee was just setting down a fresh pot of coffee as he entered. Benny and Trigger were shoveling the food down with relish, using the stacks of toast next to their plate as utensils in which to get the food into their gaping mouths.  
  
"Where did all this food come from?" asked Eddie, remembering that the grocery shopping hadn't been done.  
  
"I bought it this morning. I came to get something to eat and couldn't find anything. There was some money in the cookie jar, so I used that. I'm hoping that was ok," she said, setting a plate and mug down for him. "I got everything that was on the list in there too."  
  
Scratching his head, he sat down, blinking as she filled his coffee cup. This was too good to be true. He was still dreaming, wasn't he? Eyes on the plate in front of him, he pinched his leg, wincing at the pain.  
  
"Yeah, that was fine. I was going to send the guys to do that anyway. Um, thanks. Aren't you going to eat anything?" he asked, helping himself to the food before his gluttonous help finished it all.  
  
"Oh, I had something already. I just made this for you guys. Figured if no one really cooked around here, I might as well do something useful."  
  
"You don't have to cook," he said, trying to keep from whooping in joy at having breakfast waiting for him.  
  
Dee shrugged. "Force of habit. I don't mind. It was one of my responsibilities and I liked it."  
  
Pointing his fork at the two men, the Riddler waved it at them as he spoke. "You two hear that? If she cooks, you clean. KP duty for the two of you."  
  
"But, boss..." protested Benny.  
  
"No buts. Either you clean up after she's done, or neither one of you gets to eat whatever it is that she makes. Understood?"  
  
Looking like two admonished children, they stared down at their plates. "Yes, Mr. Nigma."  
  
The two seethed in anger that they would have to clean up after this woman. Who was she anyway? Just the other night she had come racing out of the museum with their boss, pushing her way into the car with him. And now they were told she was living with them and they would be playing maid to her in the kitchen? This was screwed up. Even if it meant regular and real meals, they were already thinking they preferred the other girls the Riddler had hired in the past. This one looked prudish and stuck up. Doubtful she would sleep with either of them as the others had.  
  
They said nothing, fuming in silence as they finished their breakfast. Once they were done, they cleared the table. Irritatingly, the girl looked up at them from her teacup, smiled, and said "thank you" of all things! Packing the dishes into the dishwasher, they cleaned up what there was to clean up at the moment, and then left to watch TV.  
  
"They don't like you," said Eddie, refilling his coffee cup as he wiped his mouth.  
  
"Do you think?" she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
He put a hand on hers. "Did you sleep ok last night?"  
  
Immediately her body language changed. "Yeah, fine. You?" she lied. Her night had been filled with nightmares and anything but fine. The previous night she had been fine sleeping there. The comfort that her life was still that of a Jade Tiger Triad member had helped. She hadn't expected to escape a murder attempt only to have her life in the Triad killed off.  
  
"As good as could be." He finished his breakfast in silence, feeling it wouldn't be right to press her on what he knew was a lie. There was no way he could expect her to take this change too quickly. "I need to make an appointment to have you outfitted."  
  
"Outfitted? You don't expect me to dress like those other girls, do you?" She had seen pictures of the outfits the girls in his and other themed criminal gangs had worn and hated every single one.  
  
"You won't wear a costume? Listen, doll, that's one of the things we do as the costumed crew. They're part of the package. Certainly you knew that."  
  
"Costumes, yes. Those tasteless leotards I've seen those girls wear, no. You don't seriously expect me to do my job wearing something that doesn't even cover what I would like it to, do you?"  
  
Why did the collar of his robe suddenly feel so tight? "I thought perhaps you would," he muttered into his coffee. Of course. Just this one thing she wouldn't do. He knew it couldn't all be easy.  
  
"I'll go to the appointment you make and I'll get a costume. But the costume will be on my terms, Mr. Nigma."  
  
There it was. A warning tone of voice that he was undoing everything he had managed last night. Usually he didn't really care and would accept, just breaking things off. But the girl was still of interest to him. There were bound to be issues that they would need to get past and work around. Here was one. It was a test, wasn't it?  
  
"Fine," he said after a moment. "On your terms. And the name is Eddie."   
  



	5. Fitting In

  
  
*Note: The character of Mr. Kittlemeier originally appeared in the short story _Neutral Ground_ by Mike Resnick in the short story collection _Tales of the Batman_.   
  
  
  
Dee found herself shuffled off to a dark little shop by the Riddler. He told her he had managed to secure a two-hour appointment after hours with the man who owned this shop. What was so special about it, she didn't know. The place looked as antiquated as the building. The interior was run down and the few shelves in the shop were bare. A counter and a turn of the century cash register were the only things in the front room. Closing the door behind them, the little bell attached to it jingled, bringing a bespectacled old man from behind the doorway covered with a dingy curtain.  
  
"You're on time as usual. This is the girl?" he said by way of greeting.  
  
"Yes. Her name is Query. Query, this is Mr. Kittlemeier."  
  
Dee inclined her head to the man. "Pleased to meet you."  
  
The old man merely snorted softly and waved them to the backroom. "Let's get this started. What does she need?"  
  
"A full package. Costume, weapons, shoes, and a few dresses wouldn't hurt," the Riddler said.  
  
Dee was mildly put off by the reception. Was everyone going to be this rude to her?  
  
"The usual costumes, I take it?" Kittlemeier said, writing out his list.  
  
"No. I had something else in mind, if that's ok with you," said Dee.  
  
Pulling from her bag a sheaf of printouts, she handed them over to the man. Eddie attempted to peer over to see what it was she had printed out. He had wondered what she was doing on the computer for so long. Kittlemeier flipped through the papers quickly.  
  
"The circled ones?" When she nodded, he continued. "Very well. I will need to get your measurements and take a few casts for some of the items."  
  
She nodded, feeling self-conscious once more.  
  
"I have some other errands to run. I'll come back when you're done. And you have my items ready for me?" the Riddler asked.  
  
"Yes. I'll have them packed up for you and waiting when you return. Now go. I have work to do and it won't get done with you here," he said, shooing the other man out.  
  
The soft tinkle of the bell told Dee that Eddie had left the shop. Kittlemeier returned after locking the door and immediately began his work, starting with measurements. He was silent for the most part, telling her only to raise or lower her arms, or when to stand and when to sit. When he asked her to remove her shoes and socks for foot casts, he became more talkative.  
  
"Leotards don't agree with you?" he asked.  
  
"Not really. Too aerobic fad for me. Besides, they're ugly and I think that if I'm going to be wearing a costume, it might as well be something I would want to wear."  
  
He nodded his agreement. As he worked, he asked her for specifics in what she wanted in the way of materials. When she showed him the bag that she used for jobs, he agreed to make her a new one with a few adjustments. The bo staff she had, while still in perfect working order, would be copied so she would have extras.  
  
"We will make these," he said, pointing to the shiruken she held, "in his theme. Will that be alright with you?"  
  
"Depends. How do you mean?"  
  
He quickly sketched out two different views of the throwing star. One had the center as the point of the question marks.  
  
"The edges will be sharp," he said, indicating the largest curve of the punctuation.  
  
The second sketch was of the question marks with the points on the outside. He indicated that these would be sharp and pointed. Nodding her agreement, he then showed her the assortment of other weapons she would be getting. Dee mentioned nothing to him of the explosives that she would be using, nor of the fact that in most cases she preferred to use her claws and fangs if things got to that point in a fight.  
  
"Have you any particular dress styles you want?" he asked when he had finished with the last cast.  
  
"Nothing too fancy. I'm fond of Asian dresses with the high collars, but that isn't a requirement. With what I've given you for the costume ideas, I'm sure you can see where my taste leans."  
  
Kittlemeier nodded. "Still, I will send some ideas over to you before I make anything," he replied, scribbling notes down on his pad. There came the sound of an old electric buzzer as he finished his last note. "That will be Mr. Nigma come back for you."  
  
"Thank you for this," she told him.  
  
He waved her to the front room. "It's what I do." Unlocking the door, he let the Riddler back in. "Here are your things. Two suits, one pair of gloves, and a half dozen new masks."  
  
Eddie handed over a wad of cash and took the brown paper wrapped parcel. Nodding his appreciation, he escorted Dee out of the store.   
  



	6. A Fight and a Riddle

  
  
Over the next week Dee worked on making the room her own. Twice she had gone out to dinner with Eddie and had a good time. He had allowed her to borrow the car to go back to Jiaoshu's in order to get some things that she needed. As the night had worn on and she still hadn't come back, he started to worry that she perhaps had decided to leave. When she came back very late, he was waiting up for her.  
  
"Eddie. You're still up. I thought you were going somewhere tonight?" she said, setting down the suitcase she had brought with her.  
  
His eyes were slightly glazed over from the alcohol he had been drinking, starting with scotch and working his way through the decanters to the brandy. Getting up, he walked toward her, slightly wobbly on his legs.  
  
"I thought you weren't coming back," he said as he came to a stop in front of her.  
  
Dee winced and stepped back, covering her nose. "God, Eddie. You stink! Have you been drinking all night?" she asked, looking past him. On the table she saw the various glasses and the obviously lowered levels of his alcohol decanters.  
  
"Just a little. Come and have a drink with me." He reached out to put an arm around her and lead her to the couch.  
  
"No!" Now she jumped back and out of his reach. "Go to bed, Eddie. Sober up before you come talk to me. And for the love of Buddha, take a shower!"  
  
With that she grabbed her suitcase and stormed into her room, making certain the door was locked behind her. Taking one of the straight back chairs she had, she jammed it up under the doorknob. She knew that if anyone had access keys to these locks, he did. In the state he was in, she didn't trust him one bit. Her wariness paid off as she heard the doorknob rattling and the lock pop. When the door wouldn't open, he finally knocked.  
  
"Dee? C'mon, Dee. I was just worried."  
  
"Go to bed, Edward," she said, pulling her shoes off. "Stupid man."  
  
He knocked a few more times, asking her to open up. When she didn't answer, he finally went away. It wasn't the first time Dee had ever seen someone drunk like that. Manchu had once gotten that drunk and he had regretted it. He had never tried to come after Dee, but he had woken up the next morning in a great deal of pain. Dee had to explain to him, as she pressed a cold compress to his swollen face, that every woman in the bar had slapped him, followed by a few punches from some of their boyfriends. Manchu had only been saved when Dee had stepped in, apologizing profusely and dragging him out of the bar by his braid.  
  
Somehow Dee didn't think this was the first time the Riddler had gotten this drunk. One of her biggest turnoffs was a drunk trying to hit on her. Grumbling, she showered and changed for bed. Dee sincerely hoped that he would have a whopper of a hangover when he woke up.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
Eddie didn't wake until almost noon the next day, having gone out for some drinks, and then coming back to the hideout and drinking himself into the ground the night before. When he wandered out to the kitchen for his coffee, Benny and Trigger were there making themselves lunch. Scrubbing his hand through his hair, he grimaced at the headache he had. Once he finished the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, washed down with two cups of coffee and aspirin, he was feeling somewhat better.  
  
"Where's Query?" he asked.  
  
The men shrugged. After a minute, Trigger spoke up. "She said something about working out. I dunno. Headed off to the exercise room."  
  
Nodding, Eddie stood and went back into his room. Having a photographic memory had its ups and downs. He remembered what had happened last night before he passed out on his bed. The earlier part of his night had been spent at the Iceberg Lounge where he had sat drinking bourbon and coke, doodling out words on napkins. Turning his shower on, he scrubbed himself down, before getting out and brushing his teeth three times. Certain that he no longer smelt like one of the dive bars on the docks, he dressed and went to find Dee.  
  
Leaning on the doorframe to the exercise room, he watched her flow through each move of her routine, dressed in a white martial arts uniform. The sharp whistle of her bo staff as it spun through the air accented her movements. Her face was flushed and there was a sheen of sweat over her exposed skin from her efforts. Eddie suddenly found himself looking at her in desire as his mind began to wander. The sharp snap of the bo staff as she collapsed it brought him out of his reverie.  
  
"What is it you want, Eddie?" she panted as she scooped up a towel, dabbing at the sweat on her face.  
  
He blinked, standing back up. "I came to apologize for last night."  
  
Dee responded with a sharp nod, followed by silence as she took a drink of water.  
  
"That shouldn't have happened. And it never has before."  
  
Her eyebrow quirked up in a look of disbelief. "You've never been drunk before," she said with sarcasm.  
  
"Oh, no. Plenty of times. The pleading. That wasn't me. I was honestly worried about you. For a while I thought you weren't coming back, that perhaps things had been worked out and they were going to allow you to return."  
  
She snorted at that. "I could only wish Po Sin was that forgiving. He blames this on me, despite the contrary evidence." Wiping the back of her neck, she looked up at him. "Anyway, I more worried about your drinking than what you could have done last night. I'm not against drinking, but I've seen what can happen when people get drunk and I've never been fond of that. Plus, I hate the smell. Good to see that you've showered and slept though. Have you eaten anything?"  
  
"Why are you so worried about that?"  
  
"I care. You worry about me, I worry about you." She gave a shrug. "Best cure for a hangover is sleep and food. I've had to take care of my share of drunken Triad members. Some of them were lucky that I didn't hurt them too much in their stupor," she said with a meaningful look. "I'm not trying to change you, I'm just asking that if you're around me, would please try to watch your drinking?"  
  
Edward opened his mouth to speak, only to stop when she shook her hair loose from the braid it had been in. With her skin still being flushed from her workout and her body still sweaty, he was having enough trouble talking to her without his mind wandering. Now her hair came down and threads of red stuck here and there to her face.  
  
As she put a hand to the back of her head to work the last bit of hair free, he reached up and pulled the strands away from her face. Under his finger, he felt the slickness of her sweat. Before he knew it, he had swept her up in a zealous kiss. Consciously he became aware of the fact that she had a hold of his hands and was pushing back. Without a word, she broke the contact and hurried out of the room.  
  
"Too much, too soon, Eddie my boy," he sighed. Turning, he went to his study and sat in his favorite thinking chair.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
Dee shut her door behind her, sliding down to the floor, panting. Her heart was racing faster than it had been when she had been working out. The kiss he had given her had made her head spin. His groping hands had brought her to the fact that her hands, too, were moving toward places on him she had no right to go just yet. That had frightened her.  
  
_How does he do that?_ she wondered as she reached up and turned the lock on her door. Her breathing had returned to normal. However, her body was trembling badly and she almost fell over when she stood, her knees feeling like Jell-o.  
  
They had only really known each other a week, but they were almost constantly together. She'd seen some of his bad habits and she didn't mind too much. He'd seen plenty of hers and didn't seem to mind. But she knew what she wanted and in all honestly, she wasn't ready. There was more about him she needed to know before she could possibly let the relationship progress. It was, in her opinion, far too soon to even think about that.  
  
"Just relax and take a shower. You have things to do," she told herself.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
A few days later Dee was putting away her laundry after dinner when she heard a faint shuffling noise. Turning to look at her door, she saw a large envelope had been pushed under her door. On the front of it in neat script "To Query" was written.  
  
"Ok," she mumbled, picking it up.  
  
Dee cleared a space on top of her dresser and opened the packet, dumping out jigsaw puzzle pieces. Frowning at them, she began to separate the edge pieces from the center. The puzzle itself didn't seem to be very large in size, but the pieces were small and there were a lot of them. Half an hour later she snapped the final piece into place. When she had been half done, she had figured out what it was, continuing, only to see how the finished message looked.  
  
_When is a door not a door?_  
  
"Ugh. He'd have to resort to that, wouldn't he?" she sighed as she went to open her door. As she did, a heavy package thumped to the ground. Dee looked up and down the hall before picking it up and closing the door. Attached to the package was a note. "'Turn it over.'" Dee turned the package over as she shut the door.  
  
Finding nothing on the back of the package, she retrieved the envelope that the puzzle had come in. there was nothing on it. She looked at the puzzle. When she had put it together, it only had the one side with writing. With a sigh, she flipped it over anyway. Another message had appeared on the back of it.  
  
_Dress to the nines and come to where the flightless bird serves drinks that floe cold._  
  
Tearing open the package, she found one of the dresses from Kittlemeier's that she had approved. Included were all the accessories she needed: a pair of shoes, a handbag, a shawl, and some jewelry. The dress and the shawl were in a vivid forest green; handbag and shoes in black. Dee smirked when she looked at the jewelry, lifting the question mark earrings to her ears.  
  
"The man's a nutcase," she chuckled.   
  



	7. The Iceberg Lounge

  
  
"Nervous twitch, Eddie?" Pamela Isley, A.K.A Poison Ivy asked as she leaned out of her booth at the Iceberg Lounge.  
  
"Floe cold. Iceberg. Flightless bird. Penguin," he muttered, looking once again from his watch to the doors of the club.  
  
"He's been doing that for the past fifteen minutes," Jonathan Crane, otherwise known as the Scarecrow said. "Have you developed a new phobia?" The thin man smiled as he said this, leaning closer to Edward.  
  
Impatiently Eddie waved them quiet.  
  
"Our guess is he's waiting for the anagram he's been working on these past two weeks," said Harvey Dent, alias Two Face. "Is that what it is?"  
  
The Riddler leveled a glare at each of them before turning back to the bar and his now watered down scotch on the rocks. His face contorted at the watery concoction and he requested a fresh scotch, no ice.  
  
"Vavoom! Would you look at that!" leered Hugo Strange. The man growled and licked his lips at the sight of the woman who had just entered the club. "To get a night with that one!"  
  
This was the fifth time tonight the man had made that same remark about a woman who had walked into the club. Eddie raised his head from the scotch he was swirling, getting ready to tell to the shorter man to shut the hell up, when he caught sight of whom Hugo had been talking about. His heart skipped a beat and he gulped as he looked up.  
  
"We should've made a bet. Double or nothing," Harvey said, tossing back his double shot of whiskey as he noticed the reaction of his friend.  
  
Dee's face began to light in a smile when she spotted Eddie. It immediately fell when she noticed the amount of eyes on her, especially the lecherous look of the bald man with glasses. Adjusting her wrap to cover herself more, she walked over to the Riddler.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. The taxi got lost," she explained as she tucked her hand into his arm.  
  
"Not a problem. Would you like a drink?" he asked, pulling her to the bar.  
  
"Midori sour, please," said Dee.  
  
"Gonna introduce us to this vivacious vixen?" interrupted Hugo giving another growl and trying to push Edward out of the way.  
  
In one swift movement, the heavy question mark topper on the Riddler's cane came smashing up into Hugo Strange's face. Dee jumped back a step, eyes wide at the sudden attack, bumping into Two Face. When she looked up at him, half of him smiled kindly down at her, the other half sneered. Hugo staggered back, holding his hand up to his bleeding nose. Eddie gave the man a mischievous grin, lifting the cane once more.  
  
"What do you get when you run into Batman? Bumps!" He hit the cowering man over the head with his cane. "What's that thing two feet above your ass? A useless lump!" the Riddler grinned, smacking the man again.  
  
He took a breath in to start another riddle, only to frown when the man turned and ran out of the Lounge, arms over his head. Giving his shoulders a slight shrug, he turned back to Dee and smiled, setting his cane back under the bar. Putting his hand on the small of her back, he brought her forward.  
  
"This is Query. Query, this is Pam, Harvey, and Jonathan."  
  
Dee was suddenly caught up in a mess of introductions and questions from each of the rogues. Eddie put a stop to it with a cutting motion of his hand, pulling a chair out for Dee. She moved to sit down as he took hold of the shawl around her shoulders.  
  
"He isn't coming back, is he?" she asked, tugging it back over herself quickly.  
  
Poison Ivy laughed. "After what Eddie just did to him? You won't see that coward again tonight. You should've hit him harder, Eddie," she said.  
  
"Believe me, I would have liked nothing better," he grumbled, folding the wrap across the back of Dee's bar chair. He leaned across her to pick his new scotch up, more to catch a whiff of the peach scent she wore than anything.  
  
Ivy came up to the bar, leaning against it next to Dee. She sipped the last of her martini, gesturing for another one. "So you're the girl that's had Eddie's mind occupied recently. How exactly did you two meet?"  
  
Taking a sip of her drink, Dee looked at Eddie, uncertain if she should tell them.  
  
"That museum job I pulled a couple weeks back. She appeared out of nowhere, just like Batman did," said the Riddler, nonchalantly.  
  
"The museum? Don't tell me you were one of the socialites there?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"No. I was actually working on something in another wing of the museum."  
  
"Oh, so you were an employee there?" asked Pam.  
  
"Er, no. I was trying to break into a safe in one of the storage areas. My partner went a little nuts on me and tried to squish me beneath one of those huge glass display cases," explained Dee, wishing she could reach out and take Eddie's hand without looking nervous. Being the object of interest like this was new to her. "Who was that guy that you hit anyway, Eddie?"  
  
Edward rolled his eyes. "That was Hugo Strange. The man had it coming, Kitten."  
  
_Kitten_, mouthed the others, exchanging glances.  
  
The look went unnoticed by the two, and the Riddler continued. "Hugo is a depraved man who has an unhealthy fixation on Batman. His favorite hobby is dressing up mannequins and... You don't want or need to know. Just avoid him like the plague," he said, giving her arm a reassuring pat.  
  
"What were you after in the museum?" Harvey asked.  
  
"What was I after? A little bit of this, a lot of that," Dee shrugged. She was unwilling to tell them the truth. "I didn't get it. Had everything ready to go on the safe when the display came down. I only just managed to get out of the way."  
  
"Come over and sit with me for a bit. Let's talk girl talk and leave the _men_ to their talk," Ivy said, slipping her arm into the crook of Dee's and giving it a tug.  
  
Obliging her, Dee slipped out of the chair, passing Eddie. His hand smoothed across her belly as she pressed past him to follow the other red head. She managed not to tremble at the touch, keeping her drink in her glass as she walked to the vegetation-covered booth.  
  
"What's your real name?" Pam asked before Dee was even settled.  
  
"Dee. But you can call me Query. I prefer that."  
  
"He give you that name?"  
  
"The day after we met. I kind of left the museum with him to get away from my partner. It was safer than trying to go back to my boss. Ended up sleeping at his place the night of the museum heist and he took me back the next day."  
  
"They didn't mind that you left them to work for him?" asked Ivy with a grin.  
  
"No choice, really. With what happened, it wasn't safe for me to stay with them anymore, least it happen again. Not that my partner ever showed up again. For all I know, she's dead," Dee said.  
  
Poison Ivy nodded. "So?"  
  
"So what?"  
  
"What's with him calling you 'Kitten'? I thought he named you 'Query'."  
  
"I dunno. Years ago when I first saw him he called me 'Kitten'."  
  
"Years ago? You just told us that you met at the museum," frowned the woman.  
  
"Oh, we did. But we had run into each other years before when he was working at a carnival. He used to run..."  
  
"A puzzle booth. Yeah, we all know the story. So you're the one he mutters about when you get him good and drunk," she smirked.  
  
Back over at the bar the men were having their own conversation. Crane and Dent were taking turns slapping Edward on the back in congratulations for his catch.  
  
"You call her 'Kitten' for her bedroom manners, or you have some hidden thing for Selina?" Two Face leered.  
  
A sharp elbow nudged him in the ribs, followed by a cackle. "Tell us, Eddie," the Scarecrow said.  
  
"Actually, none of the above, gentlemen," he replied, tugging at the knot in his tie. Why did they have to bring up her and bed? "I call her that for other reasons."  
  
"She catty then? Just what we need, another feline in the group," muttered Harvey.  
  
He narrowed his eyes and set his face in a glower as he faced forward. "So far she's been nothing but reasonable and level headed." He hated that. Couldn't the woman just lose herself for one night? Didn't she know what she was doing to him?  
  
"Sounds like someone hasn't rolled in the straw yet," mocked Crane. "What's wrong, Eddie? She not interested in your..."  
  
"Hey, Jonathan, what ever happened to Spook? Hm? Weren't you trying to get her into the hayloft to look at your scythe?" retorted the Riddler with a snarl.  
  
The thin man went quiet and scowled, scooping up his bourbon.  
  
Two Face chuckled at the swipe before asking, "So really, Eddie. What's she done to earn the name?"  
  
Draining his scotch, the Riddler got another, drinking that before he turned to look at the booth where Dee had disappeared. A curtain of trailing foliage covered the occupants from view. "Did I ever tell you about my time working in the carnival?"  
  
Groans came from the two men, along with an "Only every time we got you piss drunk."  
  
"That girl. The one that figured out the cheat. When we bantered, I called her 'Kitten'." He waved his empty glass at the booth. "That's her."  
  
Just before the two could react, an ear-shattering giggle peeled through the club. Running down to Ivy's booth was Harley Quinn, head tassels smoking and eyes wide. Without hesitation, she dove behind the living curtain.  
  
"Lemmie in! Lemmie in!" she shrieked.  
  
"Harley! C'mon out, Pooh!" the Joker cackled, strolling into the bar, waving a flamethrower.   
  



	8. Meeting the Joker, or Too Much Fur

  
  
"Don't you ever let me catch you coming in here with that thing again, Jack!" the Penguin said, poking the clown in the stomach with the tip of his umbrella.  
  
The Joker stood in the middle of the bar, drenched from head to toe, frowning as he clicked the trigger on his flamethrower. His lower lip trembled when the weapon refused to light. Dee, her hair and dress wet and smeared with the charred remains of plants, had tucked herself up against the Riddler's side, sipping a peppermint patty. Harley sat on a stool, frowning into a rum and coke. Ivy stood next to the Penguin, fists balled at her side, ready to deck the clown. Dent and Crane just stood and observed.  
  
Harley had landed across Poison Ivy's lap as she dove into the booth to hide, oblivious to the fact that Dee was in there. As soon as the clown had made it into the bar area, he had stalked around, calling out "Ollie, ollie, oxen free!"  
  
"Shh! Don't tell him I'm in here!" she begged, pressing herself into a ball at the back of the booth.  
  
"Like I would, Harl," Ivy said, dipping the still smoking tassels into a glass of water. "What's he up to this time?"  
  
"We were just out for the night seeing what we could find to roast! After a coupla henchmen and a poodle went up, he fired at me!" Harley blinked. "Who're you?"  
  
"This is Query, Harl. Eddie's new girl. Now pay attention before you start on fire!" said Ivy, tugging at the scorched collar.  
  
Dee gave a shy wave at the clown girl as Ivy dabbed water onto certain spots of the collar.  
  
"Hey! You've got question mark jewelry on! I'll bet you're the girl Eddie's been mooning over lately!"  
  
Both Ivy and Dee gave each other quick glances before they heard the cackle again.  
  
"Pammy! Knock knock! I believe you have something of mine," the Joker said, shoving his head through the vines. He frowned at the sight of Dee. "You're not Harley! Who are you?"  
  
Without waiting for an answer, he saw Harley. Squealing, she ducked under the table. Before the Joker could lunge for her, the vines took hold of the flame wand, also wrapping themselves around the Joker's head. Attempting to rid himself of them by shaking his head violently, he roared and pulled back. The vines let go of him and he stumbled back into the bar, snarling. Raising the flamethrower's wand, he giggled, sending a tongue of flames at the booth. Shrieks were heard as the vegetation began to catch fire.  
  
The Riddler bellowed out the Joker's name and readied to beat the clown over the head with his cane. Dent and Crane quickly grabbed a hold of the Riddler and held him back, knowing things would only get worse if they allowed Eddie to hit the clown. At that moment, a wave of water came at the clown. The three at the bar turned to find the proprietor, the Penguin, along with an army of bouncers and buckets. Quickly the men threw buckets of water on the flaming booth, extinguishing the flames.  
  
As the water hit the booth, dousing the flames, a hissing streak of fur burst out. To the disbelief of all at the bar, the creature (which was now clearly a cat) leapt onto the bar chair nearest the Riddler, onto his shoulder, and scrambled into his jacket. Had he not remembered Query's ability, he would have been jumpier at the sudden appearance of the feline than he was. As it was, he had to gently work the girl's claws out of his shirt and flesh.  
  
"What the...?" began Two Face as the Riddler revealed the wet ball of fur. "Where did the cat come from?"  
  
Shaking, Dee hissed at the bifurcated face that peered at her. She was uncertain now of who would pose a threat to her and who wouldn't. Eddie had no idea what to do, having never seen her in full feline form, nor this angry.  
  
"Calm down. You're fine," he said, placing her in the chair next to him. He quickly ordered her a hot drink.  
  
Chest still heaving, she changed back, furious at not only having her new dress ruined, but at having water thrown on her. Like any feline, she abhorred getting wet if it wasn't by her choice. Two heavily muscled bouncers grabbed the Joker and hauled him over to the Penguin. A bouncer stayed to help the women up from the floor, apologizing for the state they were now in. Harley and Ivy looked around, wondering what had happened to Dee. They were surprised to see Dee sitting at the bar next to the Riddler. The other two men looked at their drinks, then at each other, trying to figure out if one had slipped something into the drinks.  
  
"So that's why she's called 'Kitten'," the two men mumbled, pushing their unfinished drinks away.  
  
"I would like nothing more right now than to claw that clown's eyes out," she hissed under her breath as the bouncers escorted the Joker out of the Iceberg Lounge. Hearing the declaration that the man had merely been banned was not to her liking.  
  
"My apologies, Miss...?" the Penguin said as he came over.  
  
"Query, Mr. Cobblepot," she said. Dee wanted to cringe as the man took her hand and placed a wet kiss on the back.  
  
"Oswald, my dear. I'm sorry that your first night in my club had to come to such a head as this. Please, your drinks are on the house tonight." He turned to the Riddler and spoke as if Dee were not standing right there. "The rumors were true, then. Charming girl, Eddie," he said, turning to go talk to the irate Poison Ivy and the sulking Harley Quinn.  
  
"I think I'm going to go home," Dee said, putting the remains of her drink on the bar. "Stay if you want."  
  
"No, I think I've had enough for one night." Eddie tipped his hat at Two Face and the Scarecrow. "Another night, gentlemen," he said, taking Dee's arm.  
  
"Nice meeting you," Two Face said.  
  
The two men watched Eddie and Dee leave, the girl dragging the soaked wrap behind her.  
  
"It's a shame things had to get wild tonight," Jonathan said. "Though it is a good thing Hugo wasn't here when she did that cat trick."  
  
Two Face grunted, and Harvey replied. "You're telling us." The voice became gruffer when he added, "All the pussy comments he could come up with. We could come up with! Eddie's found himself a new pussy!"  
  
The two dissolved into giggles of childish delight as they went back and forth, each making a new comment.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
"Sorry about that."  
  
"It wasn't your fault. You wanted me to meet your friends. How would you know that one of them would take tonight to try to turn his girlfriend into a candle?" she said, wrapping his jacket tighter around herself as they walked to the car. He had tossed the remains of the shawl into a garbage can, handing his jacket over to her as soon as they were outside.  
  
"One should always expect that with Joker. We'll have Kittlemeier replace the dress," he said, pulling her to a stop. He picked a blackened twig out of her hair and tossed it to the ground. "I guess I really ruined things tonight, didn't I? And now everyone knows about your being able to turn into a feline."  
  
Dee shrugged and rested her head against his chest. "I don't think it was ruined. I've never had a night out that exciting. Plus, they were going to find out sooner or later, weren't they? Neither of us could've kept that a secret forever."  
  
"True," he sighed. "Let's get you home so you can get cleaned up."   
  



	9. Rough Starts

  
  
Over the next couple weeks Dee found herself overwhelmed with running errands both for herself and for the Riddler. They had been out a few more times, but the man's concentration seemed to be focused elsewhere. Everything that had been ordered from Kittlemeier's had been picked up. She was more than pleased with the costumes and weapons. When she was alone in her room, she tried all the items on wondering what Eddie would think of her in each of them.  
  
Smoothing her hands over her hips, Dee did a turn in front of the full-length mirror at the dress she now wore. It had a high collar like the Asian dresses she was used to, and sleeveless. The bodice on it was tight, with a teardrop cutout over her breasts. It flared down to a full, ankle length skirt. Everything was in some shade of green, this one being a bright emerald green.  
  
"Why, yes, Eddie. I'd love to have this dance with you," she said softly, dipping in a slight curtsey. Putting her arms around the phantom Riddler, she twirled around her room, her bare feet shuffling in the thick carpet. A knock at her door sent her stumbling and falling onto her bed. Blushing furiously as if someone had caught her daydreaming out in the open, she managed to pull herself together. "Yes?"  
  
"May I come in?" the Riddler asked. He had been standing outside her door, listening to her humming tunelessly, wondering what she was doing. The sound of her tripping had made him want to chuckle.  
  
"Um, hold on a second!" she said hurriedly.  
  
Muffled curses could be heard along with her hopping around. Now Eddie was having a hard time not just trying the doorknob to see what she was up to. What was she doing?  
  
"Are you ok in there?" he asked when he heard her growl and slam the closet door shut.  
  
The door opened and she stood there, wearing her robe over her pajamas. Her face was red and she was breathing a little harder than usual. "Sorry, yeah. I'm fine. What can I do for you?" she asked, allowing him to step in.  
  
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"  
  
"Hm? Oh! No, no. I was just double checking that the stuff I got from Kittlemeier fit, that's all," she said, pushing her hair back as she sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
He closed the door behind him. "I thought you'd done that when you got it all last week?" The only reason he said this was to watch as the blush creped back up her neck and to her cheeks.  
  
"I, uh, did. But a couple of them I wasn't certain about," she quickly said.  
  
"That was almost believable. You lie well," he chuckled, sitting next to her. Exposing her neck, he leaned in and kissed it lightly. He felt the shudder that went through her body and heard her sigh. As he continued kissing her neck, he put his left arm around her waist and drew her closer, speaking in between kisses. "Tomorrow night we're going out. I have a job planned and the riddle is being delivered in the morning."  
  
"Mmhm," she mumbled dreamily as she curled her fingers at the nape of his neck, her hand on his left bicep.  
  
The Riddler tipped her back on the bed, his right hand cradling her head as he kissed her, his left pushing the robe away as he cupped her hip. Dee let out a little moan as his hand trailed up her body, bunching up the camisole she wore on one side. Her leg ran up the side of his as he stroked the curve of her breast.  
  
_Yes. This is what we've been in need of_, he thought to himself as she responded naturally to every caress and kiss he gave. He had come in, only intent on telling her about tomorrow's heist. The way she looked in her robe made his mind turn to other things. There was plenty of time to give her details.  
  
Dee's mind was desperately trying to surface from where it had been plunged. Every time she thought she was reaching the surface, yet another wave of pleasure washed over her, plunging her deeper. The nipping and sucking kisses being placed lower and lower on her neck, coupled with the arousing strokes of his hands on her body were drowning her.  
  
_Breath. Need to breath!_ her mind cried desperately.  
  
A tug at the drawstring of her pajama bottoms brought her around quickly. She became aware of where her hands were as she felt the soft leather of his belt on her skin. With a gasp, she back peddled to the other side of the bed pulling her robe around her exposed breasts, a shocked look on her face.  
  
_He's seen me!_ she panicked.  
  
Panting himself, Eddie looked up from where she had wiggled away from him, his shirt half open and his hair mussed. He moved toward her, his eyes alight with ardor.  
  
"What's the matter?" he said, reaching out for her.  
  
Kicking back again, Dee fell off the bed and backed herself into a corner. "No. Please don't!" she begged holding a hand up to keep him away. _But you want him near you, Dee. You want him touching you again._ While it was true she did, she was petrified of him right now.  
  
"I know this is your first time. I'll go slow," he said as if that would make it all better.  
  
Her head shook fiercely, strands of red whipping back and forth. "No!"  
  
Edward was surprised to see tears trickle out of her eyes as she curled up in the corner, eyes closed tightly as if she had been beaten. Stepping off the bed, he sat next to her and pulled her into his arms, hushing her and wiping her tears away. In the past few weeks, they had made out heavily. Dee had allowed his hands to wander more and more each time. Hers certainly had started wandering where they pleased. But now...  
  
_What the hell just happened?_  
  
Dee allowed him to hold her, even putting her arms around him as she cried in earnest into his shirtfront. For a moment, they sat in silence as he rocked her back and forth.  
  
"Tell me what the problem is, Kitten," he said, pushing her hair away from her face to look at her.  
  
"I just... It isn't right," she said. Now she felt stupid, but she was afraid he would be angry with her. She wondered if she could possibly tell him the truth without him hating her.  
  
"That's ok," he said, even though he was disappointed. She had gotten him worked up and now he was left with the desire for her pushed back to simmer. "Is there something I can do to make it right?"  
  
There was a long pause before she pressed her head back against his shoulder and she fidgeted with the buttons on his shirt. "No," she lied. There were things he could do; she was just too embarrassed to tell him what those things were.  
  
"If there's one thing I've learned about you it's that when you're nervous and lying, you don't look at me and you find something to play with. Usually it's my tie. So why don't you tell me what you're not willing to say and get it over with?"  
  
"You'll hate me or think I'm an idiot," she mumbled.  
  
He watched as she fastened and unfastened the same button. Furrowing her brow, she stuck her bottom lip out in a pout when he placed his hands over hers. "Try me."  
  
With a deep breath she said, "I'm scared."  
  
Eddie chuckled and shrugged. "That's natural. I said I would go slow."  
  
"No, you don't understand. It's petrifying fear, ok? I'm literally petrified of my first time," she said, holding his hand tightly. Releasing his hand, she turned herself in his arms, leaning her back against his chest. Robe tied tight, she pulled his hands around and rested them on her belly. "It's a stupid reason."  
  
"But what exactly are you scared of? If you tell me, I can maybe help ease your fear," he said, unable to keep himself from kissing her cheek.  
  
Unconsciously she tugged at his fingers. It was like she had reverted to a child in seconds, an adult topic and a child's embarrassment to speak about it. Once more he covered her hands and pressed them to her belly.  
  
"C'mon. I won't laugh, get mad, hate you, or anything. Promise."  
  
She shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about it right now."  
  
"Just tell me when you're ready," he said. _Please tell me soon._ For now he contented himself in the fact that she would still allow him to touch her. Leaning against the wall, he nuzzled into her neck delighting in the smell of her skin. Today she wore none of the peach oil. Recently, he had found himself getting a strange tingle in his spine when he heard the word peach or smelled the fruit.  
  
Dee turned herself on her side and curled into Eddie's lap as he stretched out. When she would be able to tell him what was on her mind, she didn't know. Things were all too new still. It wasn't that she didn't want to sleep with him, she did. Sighing, she pressed her cheek against his warm chest, the light sprinkling of hair he had there tickling her cheek. Dee rested her right hand on his belly, feeling comfortable and safe in his arms despite how she had felt only minutes earlier. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.  
  
"I hope this isn't always how it'll be," the Riddler said as he settled her on the bed, pulling a blanket over her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and left her room.   
  



	10. A Slow Riddle

  
  
"He's back in action," Commissioner Gordon said. He offered up a piece of paper from his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed.  
  
Batman grunted as he took the paper. Over the past month the Riddler had been seen around town with a new girl who seemed genuinely attached to him and vice versa. The equivalent of her coming out party at the Iceberg Lounge had not gone unnoticed. Rumor had it the girl could shape shift into a feline. Though he didn't dismiss it, he found the idea a ridiculous one.  
  
"He has a new girl working for him," Batman said feeling the need to pass the information on. "I suppose we should clean out another cell in Women's Blackgate."  
  
"Any woman who would hangout with his kind should be sent to Arkham," grumbled the man.  
  
"Not all of them are mentally unstable though, Jim," reminded the Dark Knight.  
  
"You have a point. But they are all dangerous." He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I'll let the boys downstairs know. Any idea on that riddle?"  
  
"Is this all of it?"  
  
The Commissioner nodded.  
  
Another grunt. He hated the Riddler. Out of all the top-level rogues, why did one of them have to pull this crap with riddles? The paper that Commissioner James Gordon had handed over contained two riddles. Batman looked them over carefully.  
  
_Who is he that runs without a leg and his house on his back?  
1-21_  
  
Batman frowned at the riddles. "A snail runs without a leg and has a house on his back. The second could be map coordinates. I'll look into it and get back to you as soon as I can."  
  
"It's appreciated. I'll make certain I have men ready to go if you need them," Gordon said. The words fell on deaf ears as the Dark Knight had already slipped out of the office. "It'd be nice if you could say 'goodbye' once in a while."  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
"Oracle, I need you to run map coordinates '1-21' and tell me the results."  
  
There was a brief pause before he got a response. "No good. It's just water," Oracle replied. "You said it was Nigma?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Let me check something." A flurry of typing could be heard. "Ah! I thought so. He's so fond of that trick. It's letters, Batman. 1 is 'a'..."  
  
"21 is 'u'. Gold. Know anything about snails and gold?" he asked.  
  
"Checking."  
  
Batman settled himself in the cockpit of the Batmobile as he awaited the response.  
  
"Ok, strange as it sounds, I have a couple of hits for that. There's the Golden Snail, an Indonesian restaurant, or the most likely culprit, a display of solid gold snail shells, from none other than Indonesia. Apparently they were made for one of the ruling families, the Sambas, to honor the legend of Keong Mas, or the Golden Snail. From a quick glance, it looks like the legends differ a bit, but the main idea is that a princess is cursed and transformed into a snail with a golden shell before being tossed into a body of water."  
  
"Where's the exhibit?" interrupted the gruff voice.  
  
"Where else, but the Museum of Indonesian Heritage?" came the cheery reply.  
  
"I'll let you know if I need anymore info. Batman out," he said, closing the connection. Barbara enjoyed her job a little too much at times with the way she spewed out more information than he needed on occasion. Still, he wasn't certain what he would do without her.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
"Alarms are off, Mr. Nigma," Trigger said.  
  
"Excellent. Let's get in and out as quick as we can. Query, you go ahead and do a sweep."  
  
She nodded and hurried into the darkened halls of the small museum. The Riddler watched her go, smiling at the sight of her bottom wrapped in the form fitting pants. As she passed the first doorway, she shifted into a panther to take advantage of the dim lighting. What they were aiming for was in the third room. Before he got to it, Dee leaned out of the room back in human form, and gave them a thumbs up. As she moved out of the room to continue her search, the Riddler and Trigger entered and found the case they were looking for.  
  
The snail shells were the size of his palm and intricately detailed. It was said that the Sambas had used the shells to serve chilled fruits or confections in at meals. In no time he disabled the case alarm and picked the lock. Trigger stood ready with the bag as the Riddler lifted each heavy shell from the case, settling it with care in the sack. There were an even dozen in all.  
  
"Boss, cape coming your way," crackled the comm-unit in his pocket.  
  
"We're done here. Be ready to go," he replied to Benny who was waiting down the street with the car. Nestling the last shell into the bag, the Riddler handed the heavy pack to Trigger. A black object whizzed by, thunking into the soft wooden frame of the case. Calmly acting like this were an everyday occurrence, the Riddler turned, beaming.  
  
"Put them back, Nigma."  
  
"Batman. Lovely night, isn't it?"  
  
"Put the shells back, Nigma. I won't tell you again," growled the Dark Knight.  
  
"I'd love to, but I have someone waiting for them," he replied.  
  
Strolling forward, he made to step past the vigilante. Batman grabbed the man by the back of his jacket, tossing him against the cases. Trigger leapt forward throwing a right hook at the crime fighter. Catching the thug's fist, Batman responded with his own right hook, sending the man stumbling back a couple steps. As he stumbled back, Trigger swung his left arm up to catch his balance, inadvertently smacking the Dark Knight across the jaw with the edge of the heavy bag. Trigger's head smacked the hard edge of a display case as he crashed to the floor.  
  
Laughing at the sight of Batman staggering and holding his jaw, the Riddler stood, dusting his suit off. "Not as fast as a dozen snails, are you, Batman?"  
  
He grabbed a fistful of question-marked jacket and held on to the smiling man. Pulling his fist back, Batman smashed it into the Riddler's jaw. Raising his fist to deliver another punch, he was distracted by a tap on his shoulder. Batman quickly made certain he could see both men in the room. Throwing the Riddler roughly to the ground, he spun around, expecting to find Nigma's third man, Benny. Instead he was greeted with a smile and a finger wave from a girl dressed in tight dark green pants and a dark green shirt decorated with a large question mark. The shirt bared most of her midriff and the pants hung low on her hips.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
Batman stood and awaited her move. The thing was this girl just stood there casually, her arms crossed low behind her back, smiling at him.  
  
"I don't have time to play," he finally said, turning back to where the Riddler lay slightly stunned along side Trigger. Batman lifted the villain by the lapels, dragging him to his feet. He was infuriated to find that the Riddler was still grinning. Looking behind him to where the girl was, he found the space she had stood empty.  
  
"Slippery, that one. Like poodles when it's raining cats and dogs," snickered the Riddler.  
  
Glaring at the man, Batman once more made to deliver another punch. The sudden weight of something landing on his shoulder and growing heavier by the second surprised him. Once more he dropped the man to the floor.  
  
"That's not very nice," hissed a voice in his ear.  
  
Dee had shifted into a small cat and hopped onto a low display case, waiting for the right moment to attack. When Batman readied to punch Eddie again, she leapt off, sinking her claws into the material of his cape. Immediately she began shifting back into human form, freeing her bo staff from the backpack she wore. Leaving it collapsed, she held it across Batman's throat, putting her weight on it as she wrapped her legs around his body to squeeze the breath out of him.  
  
Whoever this girl was, it was clear she knew what she was doing. Trying to gasp for air only allowed her to tighten her legs around him as he exhaled, heels digging into his diaphragm. Batman watched as the Riddler stood up once more, slightly wobbly this time. Trigger was getting up slowly as well, shaking his head to clear it of the ringing. The edges of Batman's vision were turning fuzzy as his oxygen was cut off.  
  
The Riddler and Trigger headed for the door, smiling as Batman worked to stay on his feet. Stumbling into the hall after the rogue, Batman took the only chance he had to free himself of the girl's fierce grip. Gasping in what breath he could, he held it as he slammed his back against the wall. Her hold loosened long enough for him to pull in another breath, but she was quickly tightening it again. Twice more he had to slam her against the wall before she dropped off, landing hard on the hallway floor.  
  
"Trigger."  
  
"My pleasure, Mr. Nigma," the man said, handing over the bag and cracking his knuckles. With the Bat sucking in breaths of air, Trigger took the opportunity and returned the vigilante's right hook, followed with a left to the gut.  
  
Dee managed to stagger to her feet and quickly made her way over to the Riddler. A few more punches and Batman hit the ground. Turning, the trio ran as fast as they could out the door. Eddie grabbed Dee's hand and dragged her along, shoving her into the car first before climbing in himself. Before the door was shut, Benny peeled away from the museum.  
  
"You ok?" he asked as she gasped for breath, sprawled in his lap and the seat.  
  
She didn't answer in words, pointing to her back instead. He unclipped the backpack and eased it off her. Dee didn't protest when he lifted the back of her shirt enough to see that she had no injuries. At most she was going to be sore from having her breath knocked out of her.  
  
"You'll be fine," he told her, discreetly rubbing her back. He was remembering his first fight with Batman and the broken nose he had suffered. Giving a sniff, he tipped his head back and sighed. "Good job tonight. I don't think we're being followed, so we can head straight back to the warehouse."  
  
"Sure thing, Mr. Nigma," said Benny.  
  
Eddie almost flinched when cool fingers reached up and touched his aching jaw. He took a hold of her hands and held them down. He was surprised when she kissed them and made herself more comfortable in his lap. By the time they reached the hideout, she had fallen asleep.   
  



	11. Elvis

  
  
"More riddles, Batman," Gordon said.  
  
This time there was no grunt. Batman was angry with himself for having turned his back on the petite girl last night. How she had managed to attack without him hearing, he wasn't certain. Either way, he was taking both the Riddler and her down tonight. This time he wouldn't underestimate the girl.  
  
Tonight the riddle was in the form of a rebus. The first word consisted of the head of a cow, which looked to be mooing, and a bee. In between the first set of pictures and the second, was the word "the." The second was a picture of the lower half of a gold human leg. The third picture was of Elvis Presley standing on an outline of the state of Tennessee.  
  
"I'll get back to you on this," he said, tucking the paper into his belt and disappearing through the window. "I have another one for you, Oracle. Tonight it's a rebus. First word, moo-bee. Second word, gold calf."  
  
"Moo-bee?" she asked.  
  
"That's what it says. A picture of a cow mooing plus a bee. The second picture is a human calf, colored gold. Moo-bee the gold calf."  
  
Oracle's laughter over the comm-line made him frown. "Mooby! Mooby the Golden Calf! Who would have thought the Riddler had seen that! Mooby the Golden Calf is from the movie _Dogma_. Represents the worship of false deities. Is that the only thing there?" she asked as she typed away.  
  
"There's a picture of Elvis Presley standing on Tennessee. Graceland?"  
  
"In Memphis. Golden calf, Memphis... I'm guessing Egypt, Batman." There was a bought of furious typing and a pause. "Museum of Natural History has a small gold statue of the bull god, Apis, inlaid with a diamond in the center of its forehead and an obsidian eagle on its back. Apis' temple of worship was placed in Memphis, Egypt."  
  
Gunning the engine of the Batmobile, he headed to the museum. "Got it. Out."  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
With Benny and Trigger at his side, the Riddler strolled through the museum on his way to the Egyptian wing. His main target tonight was to be the priceless statue of Apis. Priceless it might be considered, but he knew he could get a very good price by adding it to someone's private collection. There was a great many smaller items he intended to take from the cases tonight, which would fetch some extra money once sold.  
  
"Here we go, gentlemen. You take those cases there, Benny. Trigger, you get the statue. I'll handle these cases here."  
  
Grunting, the men hurried to disable the alarms and unlock the cases. Benny quickly cleaned out his assigned cases of the various scarab and eagle jewelry pieces. The Riddler scooped up the small puzzles along with a few other items in his cases, dropping them into his pocket. He gave the weighted pocket a satisfied pat before glancing at his watch.  
  
"No sign of the Bat." He looked the other cases over quickly, deciding there was nothing else worth taking at the moment. "Let's get out of here." Stepping out of the wing, he walked smack into the heavily muscled chest of the Dark Knight.  
  
"Not tonight, Nigma," he growled.  
  
"Batman! Good of you to make an appearance!" Edward said cheerfully.  
  
Wasting no time, Batman threw a punch knocking the lighter man off his feet. The two henchmen immediately dropped their bags of goods and rushed the vigilante. As a team, they barreled into the masked man, slamming him into the wall. Each one suddenly found themselves being tossed unceremoniously to the floor. Before any of the men could get up, a figure swung out from the ceiling beams, aiming directly at Batman. He saw the girl a second too late as she crashed, heels first, into his chest.  
  
Dee growled as she pulled forth her bo staff, swinging the weapon to extend it. She allowed him to stand, backing off and waiting in a relaxed pose to see if he would strike. Batman stood silently, letting his cape close around him. Behind her the men all began to stand, groaning and rubbing the backs of their heads. Benny was the first one standing and he helped the Riddler up. As Eddie pulled the handkerchief from his pocket to dab away the blood at the corner of his mouth, Trigger stood and retrieved the two bags. At the movement, Batman's cape flipped open and two batarangs came flying out, slashing the tops of the bags off. As the sound of trinkets spilling from Benny's bag filled the hall, Dee made her next move.  
  
In a charge, Dee made it look as though she were aiming high with her bo staff. As she reached him, he ducked and her attack quickly switched, landing a hard blow with her foot on his shoulder. Her bo staff came down across the side of his head with a loud crack. Like lightning, he grabbed a hold of her foot and threw her into the wall. The girl barely weighed anything to him. She hit the wall and fell backward, staring up at the ceiling, stunned and coughing. Everyone went silent as the Riddler hurried over to her. His eyes narrowed when he saw the trickles of blood coming from her nose and mouth.  
  
"Wrong move, Batman," he snarled, quickly standing as he pulled a gun from his jacket.  
  
The henchmen followed suit and began shooting at Batman. The vigilante rolled into the next room. For a moment the gunfire stopped. When he peered around the edge of the doorway, he was immediately shot at again. He managed to see the Riddler heft Query over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and run out of the hall. Benny and Trigger laid down cover fire for each other as they gathered the spilled loot.  
  
"Go! Go!" shouted Trigger as he locked a fresh clip of bullets into his gun.  
  
Batman took that chance to throw a batarang, knocking the gun from the man's hand. Trigger spared no time in retrieving the firearm, grabbing up his bag instead and bolting out of the hall after Benny. Outside the Riddler was waiting, Dee still over his shoulder and groaning now. As soon as his men were out and running past him, he tossed one of the little bombs he had taken from her backpack. The Dark Knight was just running toward the door when the little explosive bounced through and exploded in a brilliant flash of orange. Bits of wall crumbled down into the doorway, half filling it. Satisfied enough with that, he turned and ran after his men who had just reached the car.   
  



	12. A Confession

  
  
"Don't try to get up," he said softly, dabbing her sweaty forehead with a cool washcloth.  
  
"We got the stuff you wanted, Mr. Nigma," Trigger said walking into the room.  
  
"Just put it there. Go see if there's any food in this place, would you?" he asked, pulling over the medical kit Trigger had just set on the bed. "Bring me some water." Opening the kit, he dug through it.  
  
"I'm sorry, Eddie," she said, swallowing thickly. Her performance the last two evenings had her completely embarrassed. She was better than this and she knew it!  
  
He sniffed in response as he found the iodine and applied it to her split lip. Why she seemed to have lost her fighting skills suddenly, he wasn't certain. "We all have our off days. Perhaps you should stay out of the next one."  
  
Grabbing his wrist, she pulled herself up despite the way it made her head spin. "No! Please don't! I promise I'll be better next time! Please, Eddie?" she begged, leaning in and kissing his face, murmuring her entreaty as her injured lips brushed over his own. Her tongue flicked softly at the blood on his lip, like a hummingbird at a flower.  
  
"Tell me what's wrong and I'll consider it," he said gently pressing her back onto the bed. She flinched when he touched the bridge of her nose. Carefully he spread an ointment on it and covered it with a small bandage. "That'll take some of the pain away and help you breath."  
  
"I've never fought him before. I guess I'm just testing the waters to see what he'll do," she said. As she spoke, she fidgeted with the edge of the blanket the covered her.  
  
"In all the time you were with the others, you never fought Batman? I find that hard to believe. And what about the night we met? You seemed to be doing fine then." He closed the kit and moved it off the bed, waiting for her response.  
  
"Here's the water you wanted. There isn't much in the way of food here. Want us to go get you something?"  
  
The Riddler shook his head as he took the bottles of water Trigger handed him. "Want anything?" he asked, turning to Dee. She shook her head and he pulled some cash out of his pocket. "If you and Benny want anything, go ahead. Tomorrow I expect to see breakfast here. There's a diner down the street. Get to go from there."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Nigma," Trigger said, leaving the room.  
  
Locking the door, Eddie returned to the bed after tossing his jacket over a chair. "So?"  
  
"I never fought him. When I did see him, I wasn't exactly...human, so I didn't have to fight him." She looked at him, worried. "Promise you won't freak out if I tell you something Jiaoshu didn't tell you about me?"  
  
"I'll do my best," he said, making himself comfortable in an armchair next to the bed.  
  
"The only times I ever saw Batman I was in cat form. Small cat. That's how I got in and out of the places, usually. But when I did my job, I changed into a large cat. Usually a tiger, leopard, or jaguar. Something big and powerful."  
  
"What did you turn into a cat and kill people or something?" he said with an amused chortle as he opened his water.  
  
"Yes."  
  
The Riddler spit the mouthful of water out. "What?! Why?!"  
  
"It was part of my job. Because of my ability, I made the perfect assassin for certain jobs. A mauling is much harder to trace than a bullet. Plus, the mauling being done by what appears to have been a large cat? This is a city. Where are you going to find a prey animal that large and get it in and out without being seen?" She paused, looking at Eddie who was white as a sheet and had his mouth open in surprise. "You're freaking out. You said you wouldn't."  
  
He trembled as he slowly swallowed and looked at her. "I said I'd try not to. I heard about some of those hits. Saw the pictures distributed as warnings to others." Shaking his head slowly, he looked at her as if for the first time. The pictures of the torn and shredded bodies flashed through his mind. It was one of the few things that had given him real nightmares. "I always thought someone was just very clever with the way they had gotten the animals in and out. So much blood," he ended in a whisper, staring at the floor in front of him.  
  
"Eddie." Dee got out of the bed and took two shaky steps to where he sat. Kneeling next to him, she put her hand on his cheek. "Eddie, I did what I was trained to do. Most of the fighting I did in human form was between rival triads. I knew what to expect for the most part and I had a partner that I worked perfectly with. Tonight I probably could've easily taken down Batman, but neither of us would have been pleased with the outcome."  
  
Dee's thumb moved in soothing circles on his cheek, relaxing him. _No way this girl could have done all that murder_, he thought. He hadn't really seen her act violently other than in the few fights. Even at the Iceberg Lounge she hadn't lashed out and struck the Joker for what he had done.  
  
"He's a lot stronger than I thought he would be. I will be ready for him next time, I swear I will. Let me prove it to you."  
  
The look she gave him was both pleading and longing. Longing for what? His approval? Finally he nodded.  
  
"One more chance." He kissed the palm of her hand. "We'll be staying here tonight. We all need the rest," he said, getting up and going to the door.  
  
"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked, knowing it was his room he was leaving.  
  
"I suppose I'll just kick the guys out of their room for the night. They can sleep on the couch," he said with a shrug.  
  
"Eddie? Could you stay here tonight? Please?" Dee asked, not because she was afraid to be left alone, but because she was afraid he was now scared of her after what she had told him. She was really beginning to love this man and to scare him away now would ruin everything.  
  
"I don't want to impose," he said even as he closed the door and removed his tie.  
  
"I wouldn't ask if I thought that." She smiled shyly at him as he removed his shirt. _He looks so good_, she thought with a silent sigh of longing. "But just to sleep," she added hurriedly, realizing where her thoughts were running to.  
  
"Of course. Just to sleep." In the closet, he found a clean shirt and tossed it to her. "Here. You don't have any clothing here, so you can wear that for a nightshirt if you'd like."  
  
She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. Emerging a few minutes later, she clutched the collar and the lower edge of the shirt; her cheeks alight with a blush. The shirt was long enough to cover her decently, but as she had changed, she realized this would be the first time she slept in the same bed with a man she was in love with.  
  
"You look nice," smiled Eddie as he pulled the covers back on the bed. He stood on the far side in a pair of dark green boxers. "Right or left?"  
  
"Um, I don't really... It doesn't matter. Right, I suppose since I'm closest to it," she said quickly slipping into the bed. Nestling under the covers, she turned onto her right leaving her back to him. As he joined her, she squeezed her eyes closed. She hadn't felt scared at all jumping out of the rafters in the museum and seeing the floor rush up. But now she trembled all over to be this intimately close to Eddie.  
  
"Are you cold?" he asked, slipping an arm around her and pressing his chest to her back.  
  
A gasp and a violent shudder was her response as the warmth from his chest spread along her back. Goose bumps broke out all over her body as his hand flattened on her belly. Flipping herself around, she took his face in her hands and kissed him. Her right leg hooked over his left, his arms encircling her and holding her tightly.  
  
"Ow!" she cried, pulling back. A blinding pain flashed through her mind as the injuries she had received from the first night were revisited. On her back, she held onto his forearm as she panted.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, realizing he had squeezed her a little too tightly. _You idiot! How could you forget about what he did to her? Stop thinking with that head in your pants and get it under control. You agreed that you would only sleep!_ his brain growled. _She's the one who came on to me!_ he cried in defense.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I dunno what came over me." He started to remove his arms and back off as she spoke, but she quickly grabbed them. "Please, no. Just stay next to me tonight?"  
  
"Sure, Kitten," he said a bit confused.  
  
Tucking her head under his, he put a hand on her belly. She turned back over and nestled herself against him taking his hand and cradling it to her chest. After her burst of eagerness, she had quickly fallen asleep. This left the Riddler holding her and stuck talking to his own brain.  
  
_So you've found the one you've been dreaming about for all these years. Turns out she's a violent, shape shifting assassin. Still interested?_  
  
(Yes. There's something about her. She isn't like the others. I can forgive the killings. I've killed before. She was doing what she was hired to do. As long as she knows that I don't tolerate unneeded killings, I don't think there will be a problem.)  
  
His mind nodded. _And what about what just happened? Tonight could have been the night for you if you had just kept going._  
  
(Could have. But she's so sore after being beaten up by Batman. What kind of good memory would that have been for her first time? She said she wasn't ready.)  
  
_Ha. A girl is going to say that. Look at her. All she's got on right now is one of your dress shirts and insisted you sleep with her tonight. She's obviously flirting with you. Are you that stupid you can't read the signs? She wants you. She's just waiting for you to take her._  
  
(No. Something is bothering her about that and I mean to find out what it is before I take her most precious possession away from her. I might be a criminal, but that doesn't mean I have to act like one when it comes down to my personal relationships,) Eddie snarled to himself. (I am not a rapist. Besides, I have more respect for this one than I did for all the others combined. She's different.)  
  
_Maybe you should point that out to her. Tell her how you feel. Face it you want to say those three words to her already. Might not hurt in getting her to sleep with you too._ A grin formed on the face of his mind.  
  
Audibly growling in the darkened room, Eddie held his arm more possessively around Dee. (I will not ever use those words to get her to do that! Ever! I want to be able to look back at some part of my life and say that I did it honorably! This is my chance and I am not going to screw it up as I have just about everything else in my life!)  
  
"Eddie?" Dee said sleepily. Her hand reached up and touched his face. "Eddie? Is everything ok?"  
  
"Everything is fine, Dee. Sorry for waking you." He placed a kiss on top of her head. "Go back to sleep, doll."  
  
"Mmm," she said before doing as told. He found his hand suddenly pressed between her breasts as she wiggled back down. A sigh escaped her lips and she began to purr.  
  
(See?) he said after the initial shock of hearing her purr. (She's different. Unlike those other girls where I didn't have to do more than flash some money, this one takes work. Everyday I learn something more about her. It's like getting one piece of a jigsaw puzzle per day; the piece might not fit quite yet, but you have it. Frustrating, but intriguing.) Something occurred to him just then. (Dee hasn't even asked about what her cut from all this is going to be. In fact, she hasn't asked me for money other than to get supplies since she got here.)  
  
_You've supplied everything she needs so far. Why should she ask?_  
  
(Why shouldn't she, you mean. It didn't matter that I had provided everything needed to those other girls. They still demanded money, trinkets, or something from me all the time. Always asking and taking.) Now he was truly puzzled. Didn't she care about the money?   
  



	13. The Theatre

  
  
"Thanks for bringing breakfast," Dee said, popping open the Styrofoam box Benny had handed to her.  
  
"Thank the boss. He's the one paid for it," Trigger said, shoveling the hot food into his mouth.  
  
"Thanks, Eddie."  
  
"No problem. I can't have my crew going hungry," he replied.  
  
"So when we get the pay off from all this, Mr. Nigma?" Benny asked. "I could use some cash about now."  
  
"Me too," added Trigger.  
  
Eddie waited to see if Dee would say anything. The girl was paying more attention to her breakfast than to the conversation. He watched as she dipped a piece of sausage in syrup before eating it. "Crap," she muttered, scrubbing at the drop of syrup that had fallen on the front of the robe he had found for her. After getting most of it off, she went back to eating, happily dancing around a little in her seat the way a kid sometimes will when they get a favored meal. _Food, food, food! I love you, pancakes! I love you, hash browns!_ she chirped to herself. A bacon strip raced around the box after a piece of toast.  
  
"As soon as I can make some calls, I'll find out what I can get for the pieces. It might be a couple weeks before I can get that stuff sold off, maybe longer. I can pay you part out of what I have set aside, if you'd like," he offered.  
  
The two exchanged glances. They trusted Nigma, knowing that the man always paid them in a timely manner and paid them well. In exchange, they had become his main help. The two men were worth the higher price, as they kept loyal to the Riddler.  
  
"Fine with us," Trigger finally said.  
  
"What about you, Q? That ok?"  
  
Dee looked up in surprise, her cheeks bulging with pancakes. Chewing and swigging back juice, she quickly cleared and wiped her mouth. "Is what ok?" she asked, sitting up straighter and acting as if she'd been eating normally the whole time.  
  
"Getting a partial payment right now and the rest once I sell this stuff off? For your share," he explained. She really hadn't been listening.  
  
"I'm getting a share? Why?"  
  
Benny and Trigger snickered at this. Dumb girl. Why would she be getting a share? Hell, if she didn't know, they would gladly split her share between them. A glare from the Riddler silenced them.  
  
"You're part of the group now. What we get we split. I usually take fifty percent and give them each twenty-five. But with an extra person, I suppose it would only be fair to drop my take to forty and give you each twenty." He waited for her protest that he got more than any of the rest did. Benny and Trigger had at first complained until he pointed out that he provided them with transportation, weapons, food, medical care when needed, and anything else that might be required for a job. No one could ever say that Edward Nigma, the Riddler, did not take care of his employees.  
  
"If you want, that's fine I guess," she said, stuffing an egg yolk in her mouth. All Dee had expected was to be paid a flat amount for each job, as she had in the Triad. What she was going to do with the money she got, she had no idea. After all, he provided everything else she needed no matter what it was. He had purchased some raw explosive material and given her a clean room to work in as well. Dee was more than set.  
  
"Then it's settled. Now, we need to talk about tonight."  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
"Alright, Oracle, it's an anagram this time. Drop this in and see what you come up with," Batman said. This was really getting tiring. He had a bruise across his throat where the girl had tried to strangle him with her staff. The tissue in his chest was bruised from her landing on him. His cape from the night before was filled with bullet holes from that idiot and his men firing at him. The sporadic attacks were wearing on him. There was no pattern to guess which of the three would attack him.  
  
"Batman?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"I'm waiting," Oracle said.  
  
"Sorry. 'I'll make a wise phrase, the woman's the fighter.'"  
  
"Right. 'The woman's the fighter.' Doesn't sound like Query from what you've said of her fights so far," chuckled Oracle.  
  
"No. The girl can fight, I'm certain of that. I think she's holding back," he muttered, checking his the stock of his utility belt.  
  
"Holding back? Against Batman? For what reason would she have to do that?"  
  
"I'm not certain. If she's the girl I think she is, then I know she has the ability to at least hold her own for longer than she has the last two nights."  
  
"Here we go. Interesting choice, I'd say. 'I'll make a wise phrase,' is 'William Shakespeare'."  
  
"That would leave 'The woman's the fighter' to be _Taming of the Shrew_," Batman said, quickly figuring out the second anagram. "Interesting choice, indeed. That seems to be what these last two heists have been about. Seeing where his new shrew fits in. What do you get on the information?"  
  
"Charity performance of _Taming of the Shrew_ at the Gotham Globe Theatre. Donations are being taken before the performance began, which would be in half an hour. There's also a Taylor/Burton film festival at the grand opening of the new Globe Multiplex in the Fashion District. They have some of the original costumes from _Taming of the Shrew_ on display, along with priceless items from their other movies."  
  
"I'll take the theatre as my best bet. Have some officers sent to the multiplex just in case." Batman punched in the theatre and got the quickest route. He seemed to be in time, as the theatre patrons were acting normal so far. They filed in from the refreshment tables that had been laid out, chattering away and sipping glasses of wine or other drinks. The ushers were walking through the foyer and closing all the outside doors, locking ones that would not be in use after the show.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
Dee felt better tonight than she had the last two. While the men had gone about their business, she had snuck off to the Riddler's bathroom and run herself a hot bath. Wallowing in the hot water had done much for her aches and for her mind. While she soaked, she figured out the reasons she had been fighting so poorly. One of the reasons was that she had found herself casting glances at Eddie to see if he approved of her moves. This left her distracted and she forgot to watch her opponent. The second reason was some nagging feminine instinct that he should be protecting her, not the other way around. This angered her because she knew there should be no line between whom should protect whom. If she needed it, he should protect her. As her fighting skills were better than his, she protected him until the need came.  
  
"Thank you for your contribution," she said with a smile, dropping the jewelry and wallet of a well-dressed couple into the bag she held.  
  
The Riddler had them all stationed at one of the three main doors, relieving the patrons of their valuables as they entered. Ushers then led the shocked theatregoers to their seats, asking them to remain calm. The small theatre was quiet, with only a soft hum of discussion going on.  
  
"You may toss that tie tack in there. What do you think, Q?"  
  
"It's fabulous, Eddie. It'd look nice on you," she said. "The cufflinks are nice too."  
  
"This was my great-grandfather's!" the man protested.  
  
Shoving his gun under the man's nose, the Riddler grinned. "And now it's mine. Cufflinks too." Ripping the items away from the man, the Riddler placed them in his pocket. Giving the man a push, he waved the next couple forward.  
  
"Think he'll show?"  
  
"If he does, he does. If not, we have a nice take and some cash. Next!" bellowed the Riddler. "Let's keep the line moving, people! I don't have all night!"  
  
The final couple came through the door and the Riddler walked up the aisle to the stage, Dee following in his wake with the heavy bag of goods. Benny and Trigger made their way over from the other two doors. Dumping the smaller bags all into one large one, Edward handed it over to Trigger and told the man to go bring the car around.  
  
"It has been fabulous tonight, folks. I would like to thank you for giving so generously to my cause. What would I do without such munificent citizens such as yourselves?" He chuckled into the microphone he had picked up. "To show my appreciation, I will now let you continue on with your evening with..."  
  
The microphone went dead and the theatre was plunged into pitch black. Dee immediately pressed herself against the Riddler, half shifting so she could take advantage of her feline sight. Very little light filtered in for her to see with, but she could hear the soft rustle of his cape. Throwing herself against Eddie's body, she knocked him to the ground.  
  
"He's here!" she hissed into his ear, her hand covering his eyes. "Stay still!" Digging into her backpack, she buried her face into his shoulder as she threw a handful of flash caps, knowing the man was most likely using starlight lenses. When she lifted her head again, she tossed a flare onto the stage. The light from that allowed her to see the Dark Knight with his hands up to his eyes, grimacing. _Now's my chance to prove myself._  
  
Cartwheeling across the stage she landed in front of Batman. Without losing momentum, she high kicked into his chest as the lights came back up to full. He staggered back, dropping his hands from his eyes. His sight was clearing now and he once more saw the redhead in front of him. With the little bandage on her nose and her cut lip, she looked more like she meant business this time than the previous nights. He dropped to a crouch as she threw a punch, swinging his leg out and knocking her legs out from under her.  
  
"Go home, girlie," he growled.  
  
_'Girlie'?! He did_ not _just call me 'girlie'!_ she snarled. Rolling up, she pulled her bo staff out, swinging it to full length. Standing her ground, she twirled the weapon expertly, a defiant glare on her face. "Don't ever call me 'girlie', buddy," she said.  
  
Batman found himself blocking the raining blows from the staff, unable to gain a second to retaliate. In the distance he could see the Riddler making an adjustment to his cane. He tried to attack low, but she was watching him too closely this time. The staff came down with loud cracks on his wrists and arms. When he tried to attack high, she whacked him across the head with the damn thing before kicking him in the stomach.  
  
_This isn't working_, he muttered in frustration. Diving, he rolled upstage and clear of the fierce attack.  
  
"Q! Stay back," warned the Riddler as he fired his cane.  
  
She hissed as she ducked out of the way of the writhing mass of ribbons that flew towards her and Batman. Batman managed to completely avoid the mass. Dee, however, wasn't as lucky. Her feet got snarled in the streamers, which pulled tighter the more she tried to tug them free.  
  
"What the hell is this, Eddie?!" she growled, pulling her dagger as she started cutting through them.  
  
He didn't answer as the Dark Knight tackled him, sending the metal cane skittering to the back wall of the stage. Dee could tell before the masked man got up that the Riddler was out cold. The sight of him laying there, eyes rolling up as his eyelids slid closed and his face went slack tickled something in the back of her mind. It was then she noticed Benny had disappeared.  
  
_The coward!_ she growled. It was a real growl and she found herself launching onto Batman's back in the half form of a tiger. The vigilante turned, surprised at the sight of the girl cloaked in fur and fangs, mouth opened in a snarl. Flipping onto his back, he caught her and sent her flying over and past him. She twisted like a cat and landed in a crouch, long claws leaving deep grooves in the floor as she skidded to a stop.  
  
"Give it up, Dee," he said. He had found out a little bit about the girl. Other than a driver's license and a post office box, there wasn't much known about her. It was as if she had appeared out of nowhere. The last actual report he could find about her was when she ran away from the Gotham West Side Orphanage. From there it was a blank canvas, but it was obvious she had not just been living on the streets.  
  
He watched as she strode to the Riddler's side, bending to check his vitals. Curiously, she bent her head and licked his cheek the way a cat would it's hurt owner. The gesture was quick, and as tender as she had looked in doing it, she looked feral as she now turned her eyes to Batman. The flow of her body as she stepped over Nigma's body was that of a large cat, calm, and yet ready to pounce at any second. Arkham might just be a good place to send this one, at least for evaluation.  
  
"I don't want to have to hurt you," the gruff voice said.  
  
To Dee it sounded much like what a cat would hear when its owner shook a finger and said, "No. Bad kitty!" right before swatting them on the bottom. Her feline ears back, she hissed and leapt at him. Palming a dart from his belt, he waited for her to come close. As she reached up, slashing her claws against his exposed cheek, he grabbed her into a bear hug. Grasping at the arm that held her, she sunk her fangs into the enforced material of his costume. A sting on her thigh went unnoticed as she moved her mouth to what looked like a less protected area. Biting down once more, as sudden warmth flooded through her body and she began to go limp in his arms.  
  
"Call the cops, Oracle. They're both down, but his men got away," Batman said. He dropped Dee next to the Riddler and cuffed the two together. Whatever the girl did to change form didn't last when she succumbed to the drug. _Such a shame that the draw of money and adventure corrupts these girls so easily._ Looking up, he found the theatre patrons watching in awe at what they had just witnessed. With a dissatisfied grunt, he turned and left the theatre to applause.   
  



	14. Arkham Asylum

  
  
"Tell me she's going to be ok!" the voice snarled.  
  
"You just sit back and relax, ok? Worry about if you'll be ok when my boot lands in your face if you don't shut the hell up!"  
  
Dee's eyes opened slowly. As things came into focus, she saw the reinforced metal walls around her and felt the sway of a moving vehicle. She tried to move and found her hands uncomfortably pinned behind her back. Her head hurt and the world felt like it was spinning. Carefully she sat up in the dimly lit and cold vehicle.  
  
"Look at that, Riddler. Seems your girlfriend has decided to come around," sneered Dee's guard.  
  
Blinking, she looked across from her and saw Eddie. He looked worried. His hands were also restrained behind his back. The split lip he had gotten the night before was now worse and he had a bad black eye. The suit he wore was disheveled and torn at the sleeve, his mask hanging out of his breast pocket.  
  
"Q? Q, you ok?" he asked, leaning closer to her.  
  
"I said shut up!" the first guard shouted, slamming his gun across the Riddler's chest and pushing him roughly against the wall of the van.  
  
"I'll be ok, Eddie," she said softly.  
  
They rode for a few minutes in silence. Dee had no idea where they were going. Never before had she been caught at any of her other jobs. That she had been caught now was a bit numbing to her. She remembered little of the fight after seeing Eddie go down. Her thigh hurt though. When the vehicle made a sharp turn and hit a bump, the Riddler was knocked from his seat and against Dee. He gave her a quick wink before roughly kissing her. The shock of his tongue filling her mouth and probing around kept her still.  
  
"Hey! You can't be doing that, you freak!" Eddie's guard said, throwing him back into his seat. "Move once more before I tell you to and you will find yourself licking the floor of this wagon, understand?!"  
  
Nodding, the Riddler kept his eyes on Dee as she kept watching him. It took her a moment to closer her mouth all the way after he kissed her. Even if it had been rough and unlike his other kisses, she was happy to receive it. Licking her lips she felt something slide in her gums. Pressing her lips closed, she leaned back against the cold metal and gently poked her tongue into her left cheek. There was now a very thin piece of flexible plastic tucked between her cheek and gums: a lock pick. Dee couldn't help but give him a pleased smile, wishing she could kiss him back for the gift he had just given her.  
  
"Here we are," Dee's guard said, pulling her up by the arm as the doors were opened from the outside. "Arkham Asylum, your happy home."  
  
Dee stepped out into the cold night air and looked up at the gloomy building looming in front of her. The sight made her feel small and would have worried her had a known body not pressed up behind her. Tilting her head back, she saw Eddie smiling gently down at her. He said not a word in the brief moment before he kissed her again, softly this time. As the guards pulled them apart and in separate directions, Eddie and Dee kept their eyes locked on each other. He smiled and kept singing, "Seagulls screaming...!"  
  
"A new one? Just what we need at this time of night," a doctor grumbled. One of the guards passed him a note from Commissioner Gordon. "Oh, fabulous. Alright, bring her this way, we'll see what we can get out of her."  
  
Just before he disappeared around a corner, Edward gave Dee an encouraging wink and smile. That was good enough for her. Straightening her spine, she shook the rough grip of the guard off her shoulder and pulled herself together.  
  
"Hey, do I get cable in my room?" she asked, flashing a bright smile at the doctors who stopped and looked up. "What about those fuzzy robes and slippers? Are those complimentary, or do I need to call down to the front desk for those? And who do I talk to if I wanna request a mountain view?"   
  



End file.
